Louisville heads into Saturday’s road game at North Carolina State carrying far more than the usual Week 5 pressure. The Cardinals were already staring at a must-win situation after last week’s loss to Wake Forest, and now the latest injury report has put quarterback Lincoln Kienholz in the spotlight.
Kienholz is listed as questionable, and that alone changes the tone of this matchup. Louisville has nine players already ruled out and six more questionable, but the status of the starting quarterback is the one that matters most. The 4-star transfer was hit hard late in the Wake Forest game, and his availability could shape everything Louisville tries to do in Raleigh.
That’s especially true because the Cardinals have little margin for error now. After starting 2-1 and backing up the hype with a historic win over SMU, Louisville was being talked about as the second-best team in the ACC and Miami’s biggest threat. Then came the shocking loss to Wake Forest, and the path to the program’s first ACC title and first CFP berth suddenly looks a lot steeper.
Louisville enters the week as a 3.5-point favorite, but that number looks a lot less comfortable with Kienholz on the injury report. Raleigh is not an easy place to play, and the Cardinals’ long list of injuries only adds to the concern.
ACC Network’s EJ Manuel said he’s leaning the other way in this one. “I am going NC State at home,” stated ACC Network’s EJ Manuel.
“You already got questions around Lincoln Kienholz, and even if he plays, is he limited, and can he be as agile. One thing I will say about Lincoln Kienholz that has been fantastic is his ability to throw on the run.
He has been super accurate. But, is he a different quarterback if he is hurt.”
Louisville’s backup options don’t offer much certainty either. Jeff Brohm and the Cardinals are high on Briggs Cherry and Davin Wydner, but neither has started at the FBS level, and the pair has combined to throw just six passes this season.
That’s why Kienholz’s status looms so large. If he can’t go, or if he’s limited, Louisville’s chances take a major hit. With fans still hoping the Cardinals can steady themselves and make a run back toward Charlotte, Saturday has turned into a game they almost have to have.
NC State, meanwhile, was coming off a 34-8 loss to Virginia, a result that initially made this matchup look more manageable for Louisville. But with the Cardinals reeling and Kienholz questionable, nothing about this one feels simple now. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. local time.
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Louisville Faces A Harsh Reality Check On Jeff Brohms Rebuild
The early returns on Jeff Brohms rebuild have been more sobering than Louisville hoped, especially on a defense that was supposed to show more bite. The Cards have struggled to get consistent pressure off the edge, the offensive line has not taken the expected step forward, and recent losses have made it harder to ignore how many of the same issues keep resurfacing from one week to the next.
Coverage breakdowns and penalties have only deepened the problem, leaving Louisville with too many self-inflicted wounds to overcome. Brohm has already acknowledged the issues, but the longer they linger, the more the season starts to look like a test of whether this roster can find answers before the schedule and the frustration pile up any further. [Read more 🡒]